Invertible umbrella with canopy sections having blade structures

ABSTRACT

An umbrella system is provided, including an elongated handle having an upper section, a canopy section disposed at the upper section of the handle, and a canopy operating mechanism connected the handle to the canopy section and configured to switch the umbrella system between an open mode and a closed mode. The canopy section includes an edge section formed with a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades being disposed to side-contact or partially overlap adjacent blades of the plurality of blades. The blades come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form an enclosure to seal the interior cavity such that raindrops, snowflakes, water, or other moisture on upper surfaces of the canopy section is sealed within the interior cavity to inhibit the raindrops, snowflakes, water, or other moisture from leaking out of the interior cavity, when the umbrella is in the closed mode.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A typical umbrella comprises a handle held by the user, a canopy section including a frame that supports a water-resistant canopy which is sized and configured to provide the desired amount of protective cover for preventing the user from getting wet and a canopy operating mechanism connecting the handle and the frame to open and close the canopy section.

Most modern umbrellas have a canopy section that is configured to be collapsible, typically around the handle, to make the size of the umbrella more compact. The frames of the umbrellas are structured and arranged to expand in an open mode for holding the canopy in a position to protect the user, while the frame is structured and arranged to collapse and the canopy to which it is attached into a closed mode.

The canopy of most umbrellas is made of a single layer of water-resistant material or materials. Generally, the canopy operating mechanism is slidably engaged on the handle such that pushing it upward opens the canopy section and pulling it downward closes the canopy section. A locking device associated with the canopy operating mechanism locks the canopy section in the open mode. Some umbrellas utilize springs or other mechanisms to mechanically extend and retract the handle and/or to expand and collapse the canopy section of the umbrella.

Traditionally, when the umbrella is operated to change from the open mode to the closed mode, the collapsing of the canopy section around the handle folds the outer surface of the canopy downward toward the user as the inner surface of the canopy section collapses against the handle.

Unfortunately, this causes the raindrops or water on the outer surface of the canopy to drain down the folded canopy to the surrounding area, such as the floor, interior of a vehicle, interior of a bag containing the umbrella, or surfaces of furniture that the umbrella is placed on.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There continues to be a need in the art for improved designs and techniques for an umbrella system configured to substantially reduce the likelihood that raindrops, snowflakes, water, or other moisture attached to the upper surfaces of the umbrella leak to areas near the umbrella when the user of the umbrella system places the umbrella system in a closed mode.

According to an embodiment of the subject invention, an umbrella system comprises an elongated handle having an upper section; a canopy section disposed at the upper section of the handle; and a canopy operating mechanism connected the handle to the canopy section and configured to switch the umbrella system between an open mode and a closed mode. The canopy section comprises an edge section comprising a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades being disposed to side-contact or partially overlap adjacent blades of the plurality of blades. The canopy operating mechanism is configured to make the canopy section to collapse to form an interior cavity with the upper section of the handle being disposed in a central area of the interior cavity, when the umbrella is switched to the closed mode. Moreover, the canopy section comprises a canopy surface and a frame attached to the canopy surface. The frame is configured to peripherally support the canopy surface to provide a protective cover, when the umbrella is in the open mode. The canopy surface is collapsed to minimize a size of the umbrella system, when the umbrella system is switched to the closed mode. Further, when the umbrella system is in the closed mode, the blades come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form a bowl-like structure. The blades come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form an enclosure to seal the interior cavity such that raindrops, water, or moisture on upper surfaces of the canopy section is sealed within the interior cavity to be inhibited from leaking out of the interior cavity, when the umbrella is in the closed mode. The plurality of blades can be made of an elastic material or a semi-rigid material to be elastically bendable when the umbrella system is switched between the open mode and the closed mode. The plurality of blades is made of a water-resistant material. The plurality of blades each is formed with a curvature surface. In addition, a tangent of the curvature surface of the blade forms an angle with the tangent of an upper surface of the canopy section in the closed mode, and wherein the angle is in a range of 5° to 75°. Each of the blades has a convex surface. The blades are symmetrically arranged on a circumference of the canopy section. The blades form a spiral swirl shape or a helical swirl shape when viewed from top.

In certain embodiment of the subject invention, an umbrella system comprises an elongated handle having an upper section; a canopy section disposed at the upper section of the handle; and a canopy operating mechanism connected the handle to the canopy section and configured to switch the umbrella system between an open mode and a closed mode; and a cover member attached to the handle or the canopy section. The canopy section comprises an edge section comprising a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades being disposed to side-contact or partially overlap adjacent blades of the plurality of blades. The canopy operating mechanism is configured to make the canopy section to collapse to form an interior cavity with the upper section of the handle being disposed in a central area of the interior cavity, when the umbrella is switched to the closed mode. Further, when the umbrella system is in the closed mode, the blades come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form a bowl-like structure having an opening at a center of the bowl-like structure. The cover member is configured to cover the opening such that raindrops, water or moisture on upper surfaces of the canopy section is sealed within the interior cavity to be inhibited from leaking out of the interior cavity. The cover may be a plug or a cap.

In some embodiment of the subject invention, an umbrella system comprises an elongated handle having an upper section; a canopy section disposed at the upper section of the handle; and a canopy operating mechanism connected the handle to the canopy section and configured to switch the umbrella system between an open mode and a closed mode. The canopy section comprises an edge section comprising a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades being disposed to side-contact or partially overlap adjacent blades of the plurality of blades. Moreover, the canopy operating mechanism is configured to make the canopy section to collapse to form an interior cavity with the upper section of the handle being disposed in a central area of the interior cavity, when the umbrella is switched to the closed mode. Further, the blades come into close contact with surfaces of the upper section of handle to form an enclosure to seal the interior cavity such that water or moisture on upper surfaces of the canopy section is sealed within the interior cavity to be inhibited from leaking out of the interior cavity, when the umbrella is in the closed mode. In addition, the upper section of the handle comprises at least one recess. When the umbrella system is in the closed mode, some or all of the blades are inserted into the at least one recess such that the interior cavity is sealed to inhibit the water or moisture from leaking out of the interior cavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view schematic representation of an invertible umbrella having a canopy section with blades in the peripheral areas of the invertible umbrella when the umbrella is in an open mode, according to an embodiment of the subject invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view schematic representation of the invertible umbrella having a canopy section with blades in the peripheral areas of the invertible umbrella when the umbrella is in a closed mode, according to an embodiment of the subject invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view schematic representation of the invertible umbrella having a canopy section with blades in the peripheral areas of the invertible umbrella in the closed mode when the handle telescopically retracted and the upper canopy is invertiably folded forming an interior cavity, wherein the blades come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form a bowl-like structure to seal the interior cavity to inhibit water or moisture from leaking out of the interior cavity, according to an embodiment of the subject invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view schematic representation of the invertible umbrella having a canopy section with blades in the peripheral areas of the invertible umbrella in the closed mode when the handle telescopically retracted and the upper canopy is invertiably folded forming an interior cavity, wherein the blades come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form a bowl-like structure having an opening at a center of the bowl-like structure, according to an embodiment of the subject invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view schematic representation of the invertible umbrella having a canopy section with blades in the peripheral areas of the invertible umbrella in the closed mode, wherein a cover member covers the opening to seal the interior cavity to inhibit water or moisture from leaking out of the interior cavity, according to an embodiment of the subject invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view schematic representation of the invertible umbrella having a canopy section with blades in the peripheral areas of the invertible umbrella in the closed mode, wherein the upper section of the handle of the umbrella comprises at least one recess and some or all of the blades are inserted into the at least one recess such that the interior cavity is sealed to inhibit water or moisture from leaking out of the interior cavity, according to an embodiment of the subject invention.

FIG. 7 is an image of a prototype of the canopy section of the invertible umbrella having blades in the peripheral areas of the canopy section when the umbrella is in the open mode, according to an embodiment of the subject invention.

FIG. 8 is an image of a prototype of the canopy section of the invertible umbrella having blades in the peripheral areas of the canopy section when the umbrella is in the closed mode in which the blades come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form a bowl-like structure having an opening at a center of the bowl-like structure such that when a cover member (not shown) covers the opening, the interior cavity is sealed to inhibit water or moisture from leaking out of the interior cavity, according to an embodiment of the subject invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The subject invention relates generally to a hand-held umbrella utilized by a user to inhibit the user or areas around the user from getting wet by any raindrops, snowflakes, water, or other moisture attached to the upper surfaces of the umbrella. In particular, the subject invention relates to retractable, hand-held umbrellas that can be configured to collapse to a smaller size and can be configured to seal the interior cavity such that raindrops, snowflakes, water or other moisture on upper surfaces of the canopy section is kept within the interior cavity by a plurality of blades disposed at an edge areas of the canopy section to inhibit the raindrops, snowflakes, water or other moisture from leaking out of the interior cavity onto the ground, floors of a vehicle, the user's bag or other areas surrounding the umbrella, when the umbrella is placed in the closed mode after being used in a raining, snowing or other conditions of high humidity. The raindrops, water, snowflakes, or other moisture collected and sealed in the interior cavity by the handle, the canopy section, and the blades can be drained from the interior cavity at a time and place that are convenient for the user when the user switches the umbrella to the open mode or opens a cover member of an opening of the interior cavity.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not prelude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

When the term “about” is used herein, in conjunction with a numerical value, it is understood that the value can be in a range of 90% of the value to 110% of the value, i.e. the value can be +/−10% of the stated value. For example, “about 1 kg” means from 0.90 kg to 1.1 kg.

In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefits and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims.

The term “inverted” being relative to the folding pattern of an umbrella.

The terms as “upper”, “upright”, “upwardly”, “lower”, “downward”, “downwardly” and the like are utilized to refer to the umbrella when it is held in a generally vertical position so the umbrella will provide cover for the user. Likewise, such terms as “outward”, “outwardly”, “inward”, “inwardly” and the like are utilized to refer to a direction relative to, as appropriate, the center of the umbrella, the umbrella's handle and/or the user when he or she is standing or sitting generally under the umbrella.

As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, umbrellas can be turned at a wide variety of angles relative to being vertical. As such, the use of these terms herein is for illustrative purposes to show how the components of the umbrella connect, interact and are positioned relative to each other when the umbrella is held in a vertical condition and is not intended to limit the umbrella or use thereof any other manner.

FIG. 1 shows an invertible umbrella 100 having a canopy section 3 with blades 6 in the peripheral areas of the invertible umbrella 100 when the umbrella is in an open mode. The invertible umbrella 100 comprises an elongated handle 1 having an upper section 2, a canopy section 3 disposed at the upper section 2 of the handle 1; and a canopy operating mechanism 4 connecting the handle 1 to the canopy section 3 and configured to switch the invertible umbrella 100 between an open mode and a closed mode. In particular, the canopy section 3 comprises peripheral areas formed with a plurality of blades 6.

In one embodiment, the canopy section 3 of the invertible umbrella 100 is positioned at or near the upper section 2 of the elongated handle 1 and the user of the invertible umbrella 100 holds the invertible umbrella 100 in at least a generally upright position with his or her hand at or near the lower end of the elongated handle 1.

FIG. 2 shows the invertible umbrella 100 having a canopy section 3 with blades 6 in the peripheral areas of the invertible umbrella when the umbrella is in a closed mode. The canopy operating mechanism 4 can be configured to switch the umbrella 100 from the open mode to the closed mode by making the canopy section 3 to collapse to form an interior cavity 7 with the upper section 2 of the handle 1 being disposed in a central area of the interior cavity 7. As a result, the canopy operating mechanism 4 is configured to allow the user to easily open and close the canopy section 3 as needed or desired. The canopy operating mechanism 4 interconnects the handle 1 and the frame 10 and is cooperatively structured so as to fold and unfold the canopy section 3. In one common configuration, canopy operating mechanism 4 is slidably disposed along the upper section 2 of the handle 1 and comprises a locking device (not shown) that is structured and arranged to allow the user to lock the canopy section 3 in the open mode.

In operation, the canopy operating mechanism 4 raises the peripheral edge of the canopy section 3 upward and pulls a center area of the canopy section 3 downward into the interior cavity 7 when switching the umbrella 100 to the closed mode and pulls the canopy section 3 out of the interior cavity 7 when switching the umbrella 100 to the open mode.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the canopy section 3 comprises a canopy surface 9 and a frame 10 attached to the canopy surface 9. Moreover, the frame 10 can be configured to peripherally support the canopy surface 9 to provide a protective cover for the user, when the umbrella 100 is in the open mode. The canopy surface 9 can be collapsed to minimize a size of the umbrella 100, when the umbrella 100 is switched from the open mode to the closed mode.

In the open mode of umbrella 100, the frame 10 of the canopy section 3 is in its outwardly or extended condition to support the canopy section 3 above frame 10 such that the user can position the canopy section 3 generally above his or her head so as to substantially inhibit any rain, snow or other moisture from getting onto the user's head and inhibit the upper part of his or her body or clothes from getting wet.

On the other hand, when the umbrella 100 is switched into the closed mode as shown in FIG. 2 , any raindrops, snowflakes, water or other moisture accumulated on the upper surface of the canopy section 3 drain in a generally inwardly direction along the inward water drain path from all along the upper surface of the canopy section 3, resulting in the raindrops, snowflakes, water or other moisture flowing toward the center area of the interior cavity 7.

Referring to FIG. 3 , when the umbrella 100 is in the closed mode, the blades 6 come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form a bowl-like structure 11. In one embodiment, each blade is disposed to side-contact the adjacent blades to form the bowl-like structure 11, a side surface of the blade being directly in contact with a side surface of the adjacent blade.

In another embodiment, the blade 6 is disposed to partially overlap the adjacent blades in a vertical direction to form the bowl-like structure 11.

Referring again to FIG. 3 , the blades 6 come into close contact with the adjacent blades, forming an enclosure to seal the interior cavity 7 such that raindrops, snowflakes, water or moisture accumulated on upper surfaces of the canopy section 3 is sealed within the interior cavity 7 to inhibit the raindrops, snowflakes, water or moisture from leaking out of the interior cavity 7, when the umbrella 100 is in the closed mode. Thus, the raindrops, snowflakes, water or moisture are inhibited from draining onto the surrounding areas of the user, such as onto the floor, the mat of an interior of a vehicle, a seat or other surface where the user is standing when he or she switches the umbrella 100 from the open mode to the closed mode.

In one embodiment, the plurality of blades 6 is made of an elastic material or a semi-rigid material to be elastically bendable, such that the blades 6 can be extended tight to provide the desired protective cover when the umbrella 100 is in the open mode, while is also sufficiently elastic and flexible that the blades 6 can be folded in a swirly manner when the umbrella 100 is switched from the open mode and the closed mode.

In one embodiment, the plurality of blades 6 is made of a water-resistant material.

In one embodiment, each of the plurality of blades 6 is formed with a curvature surface.

In one embodiment, a tangent of the curvature surface of the blade 6 forms an angle a with the tangent of an upper surface of the canopy section 3 in the closed mode as shown in FIG. 3 , the angle being in a range of 5° to 75°.

In one embodiment, each of the plurality of blades has a convex surface.

In one embodiment, the plurality of blades 6 is symmetrically arranged on a circumference 18 of the canopy section 3.

In one embodiment, the plurality of blades 6 forms a spiral swirl shape when viewed from the top.

In one embodiment, the plurality of blades 6 forms a helical swirl shape when viewed from the top.

Now referring to FIG. 4 , in another embodiment, when the umbrella 100 is in the closed mode, the blades 6 come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form a bowl-like structure 11 having an opening 12 at a center of the bowl-like structure 11.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the umbrella 100 may comprise a cover member 13 attached to the handle 1 or the canopy section 3 or other suitable part of the umbrella 100. The cover member 13 is configured to cover the opening 12 such that raindrops, water or moisture accumulated on the upper surfaces of the canopy section 3 is sealed within the interior cavity 7 to inhibit the raindrops, water or moisture from leaking out of the interior cavity 7.

In one embodiment, the cover member 13 is a plug.

In another embodiment, the cover member 13 is a cap.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the upper section 2 of the handle 1 may comprise at least one recess 14. When the umbrella 100 is in the closed mode, some or all of the blades are inserted into the at least one recess 14 such that the interior cavity is sealed to inhibit the water or moisture accumulated on the upper surfaces of the canopy section 3 from leaking out of the interior cavity 7.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a prototype of the canopy section of the invertible umbrella having blades in the peripheral areas according to an embodiment of the subject invention. In particular, FIG. 7 shows the prototype of the canopy section of the invertible umbrella when the umbrella is in the open mode; and FIG. 8 shows the prototype of canopy section of the invertible umbrella when the umbrella is in the closed mode in which the blades come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form a bowl-like structure having an opening at a center of the bowl-like structure such that when a cover member (not shown) covers the opening, the interior cavity is sealed to inhibit raindrops, snowflakes, water or moisture from leaking out of the interior cavity.

When the user no longer needs the umbrella 100 for protecting from rain or other moisture, such as when entering a vehicle, home, store or other area where the protection provided by umbrella 100 is not needed, he or she may operate the canopy operating mechanism 4 to switch the umbrella 100 to the closed mode. The canopy operating mechanism 4 pulls the canopy section 3 downward into the interior cavity 7 at the upper section 2 of the handle 1 and move the peripheral edge having the blades 6 upward to create a bowl-like structure that seals rain, water, or other moisture within the interior cavity 7. The raindrops, snowflakes, water, or any other moisture accumulated and sealed in the interior cavity 7 can be poured out, at the user's convenience, by switching the closed umbrella 10 from the closed mode to the open mode. As such, the water that accumulates on the canopy section 3 of the umbrella 100 is inhibited from draining onto the areas around the user when the umbrella 100 is closed.

All patents, patent applications, provisional applications, and publications referred to or cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety, including all figures and tables, to the extent they are not inconsistent with the explicit teachings of this specification.

It should be understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application and the scope of the appended claims. In addition, any elements or limitations of any invention or embodiment thereof disclosed herein can be combined with any and/or all other elements or limitations (individually or in any combination) or any other invention or embodiment thereof disclosed herein, and all such combinations are contemplated with the scope of the invention without limitation thereto. 

We claim:
 1. An umbrella system, comprising: an elongated handle having an upper section; a canopy section disposed at the upper section of the handle; and a canopy operating mechanism connected the handle to the canopy section and configured to switch the umbrella system between an open mode and a closed mode; wherein the canopy section comprises an edge section comprising a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades being disposed to side-contact or partially overlap adjacent blades of the plurality of blades.
 2. The umbrella system of claim 1, wherein the canopy operating mechanism is configured to make the canopy section to collapse to form an interior cavity with the upper section of the handle being disposed in a central area of the interior cavity, when the umbrella is switched to the closed mode.
 3. The umbrella system of claim 1, wherein the canopy section comprises a canopy surface and a frame attached to the canopy surface.
 4. The umbrella system of claim 3, wherein the frame is configured to peripherally support the canopy surface to provide a protective cover, when the umbrella is in the open mode.
 5. The umbrella system of claim 3, wherein the canopy surface is collapsed to minimize a size of the umbrella system, when the umbrella system is switched to the closed mode.
 6. The umbrella system of claim 2, wherein when the umbrella system is in the closed mode, the blades come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form a bowl-like structure.
 7. The umbrella system of claim 2, wherein the blades come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form an enclosure to seal the interior cavity such that raindrops, snowflakes, water, or other moisture on upper surfaces of the canopy section is sealed within the interior cavity to be inhibited from leaking out of the interior cavity, when the umbrella is in the closed mode.
 8. The umbrella system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades is made of an elastic material or a semi-rigid material to be elastically bendable when the umbrella system is switched between the open mode and the closed mode.
 9. The umbrella system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades is made of a water-resistant material.
 10. The umbrella system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades each is formed with a curvature surface.
 11. The umbrella system of claim 1, wherein a tangent of the curvature surface of the blade forms an angle with the tangent of an upper surface of the canopy section in the closed mode, and wherein the angle is in a range of 5° to 75°.
 12. The umbrella system of claim 1, wherein each of the blades has a convex surface.
 13. The umbrella system of claim 1, wherein the blades are symmetrically arranged on a circumference of the canopy section.
 14. The umbrella system of claim 1, wherein the blades form a spiral swirl shape when viewed from top.
 15. The umbrella system of claim 1, wherein the blades form a helical swirl shape when viewed from top.
 16. An umbrella system, comprising: an elongated handle having an upper section; a canopy section disposed at the upper section of the handle; a canopy operating mechanism connected the handle to the canopy section and configured to switch the umbrella system between an open mode and a closed mode; and a cover member attached to the handle or the canopy section; wherein the canopy section comprises an edge section comprising a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades being disposed to side-contact or partially overlap adjacent blades of the plurality of blades, wherein the canopy operating mechanism is configured to make the canopy section to collapse to form an interior cavity with the upper section of the handle being disposed in a central area of the interior cavity, when the umbrella is switched to the closed mode, wherein when the umbrella system is in the closed mode, the blades come into close contact with the adjacent blades to form a bowl-like structure having an opening at a center of the bowl- like structure, and wherein the cover member is configured to cover the opening such that raindrops, snowflakes, water, or other moisture on upper surfaces of the canopy section is sealed within the interior cavity to be inhibited from leaking out of the interior cavity.
 17. The umbrella system of claim 16, wherein the cover is a plug or a cap.
 18. An umbrella system, comprising: an elongated handle having an upper section; a canopy section disposed at the upper section of the handle; and a canopy operating mechanism connected the handle to the canopy section and configured to switch the umbrella system between an open mode and a closed mode; wherein the canopy section comprises an edge section comprising a plurality of blades, each of the plurality of blades being disposed to side-contact or partially overlap adjacent blades of the plurality of blades, wherein the canopy operating mechanism is configured to make the canopy section to collapse to form an interior cavity with the upper section of the handle being disposed in a central area of the interior cavity, when the umbrella is switched to the closed mode, and wherein the blades come into close contact with surfaces of the upper section of handle to form an enclosure to seal the interior cavity such that raindrops, snowflakes, water, or other moisture on upper surfaces of the canopy section is sealed within the interior cavity to be inhibited from leaking out of the interior cavity, when the umbrella is in the closed mode.
 19. The umbrella system of claim 18, wherein the upper section of the handle comprises at least one recess.
 20. The umbrella system of claim 19, when the umbrella system is in the closed mode, some or all of the blades are inserted into the at least one recess such that the interior cavity is sealed to inhibit the raindrops, snowflakes, water, or other moisture from leaking out of the interior cavity. 